Apparatus for wrapping articles and for placing same into containers.



H. s. GLEASON. APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES AND FOR PLACING SAME INTO CONTAINERS.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. I7. 1917.

Patented Dee. 4, 19W.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. S. GLEASON. APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING ARTICLES AND FOR PLACING SAME INTO CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION mm mm]. 17.1911.

n m a u l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Dec. 4, 191?.

hHORATlEO S. GLEASON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

i: 'rn's iron. waarrme 11- J Specification of Letters Patent.

TICLJES AND FOR PLACING SAME INTO CONTAINERS.

Patented Dec. t, 119M.

Application filed March 17, 1917. Serial No. 155,461.

article into a carton or box.

The objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus of this kind which is so constructed and arranged that the wrapping of the article is effected'while the same passes by its own weight through the apparatus; also to provide an apparatus of this kind which is so constructed that it can be easily taken apart for cleaning; also to ing provide a wrapping apparatus of this kind with means for placing an article after the same has been wrapped, into a carton or box; also to improve the .construction of apparatus of this kind in other respects hereinafter specified. s

, In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of an apparatus for wrapping articles and placing the same into cartons or boxes.

Fig.2 is a side elevation thereof, in section, on line 22, Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 1s a topplan view thereof, showan article and a sheet of paper enterpartly ing the apparatus.

Fig. 4: 1s a fragmentary sectional elevational of the upper portion thereof, on

line 4-4, Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view thereof, on an enlarged scale, on line 5-5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation thereof on line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal central sectional elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal central sectional elevation showingthe parts of the apparatus in difi'er'ent positions.

' Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view, on an enlarged scale, on. line 99, Fig. 1, with the upper portion of the apparatus omitted.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional plan view on line 10-10, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scalel p Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view, on

an enlarged scale, of an article after the same has been wrapped.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a carton having a side wall removed therefrom and showing the wrapped article in position therein.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the apparatus showing the means for guiding an article into a, carton.

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of the apparatus on areduced scale.

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus showing a carton before the same has been placed into its receiving position in the apparatus.

Briefly stated, the apparatus embodying the invention which is shown in the drawings, comprises an upper paper folding or guiding portion or member adapted to receive a sheet of paper or other material to be used for wrapping the article and to fold the paper upwardly toward the sides of the article when the article is placed on the paper and permitted to move pastthe folding devices of the upper folding member, and upright paper guiding or folding members or portions adapted to fold the paper sidewise against the sides of the article, the folding members forming a chute which guides the articles in their movement through the apparatus. The apparatus is preferably so constructed that the articles can move through the same by gravity, carrying the sheets of paper past the folding members or parts of the apparatus and causing the sheets to be wrapped around the sides of the articles. Means are provided at the lower end of the chute'for placing a carton or box into position to receive the wrapped artlcle, and means are also provided for guiding the article into the car- I ton or box. The weight of the article moves the carton out of its receiving position and enables the carton and its contents to be readily. removed from the apparatus.

A represents the upper paper folding or guiding member or portion which is provided with an opening a through which the article to be wrapped and the sheet of material in which the article is to be wrapped are adapted to pass, and which is provided with means for folding the sheet upwardly against the sides of the article. For this purpose, in the construction shown, the meniber A is provided at opposite sides with gage plates B, the upper flat faces of which are adapted to act as supports or guides for properly positioning a sheet of paper to be used in wrapping the article, and the inner edges 12 of which are adapted to fold the two opposite side portions of the paper upwardly against the sides of the article as the article passes through the hole. The upper paper folding member or portion A also has front and rear folders or paper guides C arranged at the front-and rear sides of the hole a. The upper faces of the front and rear folders C are flat and form a portion of the upper. flat paper supporting surface of the paper guiding member A, and the portions thereof adjacent to the upper edge of the hole a are curved or otherwise shaped at their upper edges 0 so as to first engage the middle portions of the paper and fold these portions toward the article. The lower portions of the front and rear paper guides are substantially flat throughout their width, so that when the article passes these portions of the paper guides the paper will be pressed into engagement with the article throughout the width of the front and rear faces of the article. While the edges 12 fold the sides of i same passes downwardly through the apparatus. The plates B of the paper guiding means A may be provided around their portions laterally against the sides of the article. In the construction shown for this purpose, lateral folding devlces or guides F and G are provided for folding the outguides C are folding the sheet of paper "into engagement with the frontand rear faces of the article. The paper will then be in a position substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which figures D represents a sheet of paper and E the article to be wrapped. The

sides 65 of the paper are folded upwardly against the sides of the article and the front andrear portions d of the paper are pressed agalnst the article by means of the paper guides C. The portions (IZ of the sides J of the paper which extend beyond'the sides of the article are adapted to pass downwardly through slots 0 formed between the paper guides C and the folding edges 6 of the paper supportingv plates or guides 'B. The upper paper guiding member A is also preferably provided with downwardly depending gulde or retaining strips 0 which form continuations of the lower flat portions of the paper guides G and which hold the portions (1' of the paper against the front and rear faces of the article while the wardly extending portions d of the sheet against the front and rear sides of the article. The lateral folding devices are preferably formed on or secured to upright columns or members f 9, those shown, being of substantially U-shape and having outwardly projecting flanges f g. The upper portions of both of the lateral folding members are flat and extend in proximity to the edges, 7) of the plates B, and the lower portions thereof are so formed as to fold the portions d of the paper sidewise into engagement with the front and rear'faces of the article. The lower curved portion of the member F, which operates on one side of the article, is arranged above the corresponding curved portion of the member G so that the portions of the paper at one side of the article forming the folds d d", as shown in Fig. 12.

The lower portions of the lateral folding members F and G substantially inclose the sides of the article, so that these members together with the columns 9 and f and the retaining strips 0 form a chute for guiding the article and the sheet in which the article is wrapped. When the article passes through the lower portion of the chute, the paper has been wrapped around all sides of the article with the exception of the top side thereof. The article is then ready to be placed into a carton or box.

The parts of the apparatus are preferably so arranged that the apparatus can be readily taken apart for cleaning or other purposes. For this purpose, in the construction shown, the upper paper guiding member rests on and is supported by the lateral folding members F G, and the lateral folding members are-removably mounted on a frame or base H of the apparatus, being preferably provided at their lower end with foot portions or horizontal extensions f adapted to rest on a plate or supporting table it of the frame H. The members F and G are held in place in any suitable manner, for example,'by means of pivoted relaton the frame H and provided with a' jacent to the lower end of thedischarge taining members or buttons h secured on the plate h, the foot portions 7, in the construction shown, being arranged in a rabbet or groove in the plate 72.. The frame H may be of any suitable construction, that shown including a base k side walls h and a transverse wall or partition h".

The lower portion of the chute, formed by the lateral folding members F and G, terminates in a hole k inthe plate h. Means are preferably provided for facilitating the placing of boxes or cartons into operative relation to the discharge end of. the chute 'and for guiding the wrapped articles into boxes or cartons. The following construction is preferably employed for placing the cartons or boxes in operative relation to the chute:

I represents a box oi carton into which the Wrapped article is to be inserted, the car ton shown being of the usual kind and having a cover z. The carton is guided into operative relation to the discharge end of the chute by means of a pivotal guide track or .theapparatus; The rear end of the guide track is also connected by means of a link 70 with the front ends of levers k pivoted at counter-weight is which normally holds the rear end ofthe uide track inits upper position,'thus.mov1ng the guide track into an inclined position. The guide track is provided at its outer end with a roller 70 adapted to roll lengthwise on the base of the apparatus. When the guide track isdepressed, the link 70 and lever k swing into the position shown in Fig. 15, in whichthe guide track is substantially parallel with'the supporting base of the apparatus. In placing a carton into receiving position in the apparatus, the carton is first placed into {the guide track K, which then is depressed into its horizontal position so as to permit the carton to be. slid toward the rear of the apparatus against the wall or partition 71 of the frame of the apparatus. When the downward pressure on the track K is released, the weight 74 will swing the link is and lever 70 back into the position shown in Fig. 7 thus raising the carton toward the lower end of I the chute. In order to facilitate the placing of the carton into the guide track K, the sides 70 of the guide track preferably flare outwardly as shown in Fig. 1. The weights k also serve to absorb the momentum acquired by the article in passing down the. chute.

In order to properly guide the articles into the cartons, a plurality of deflecting blades orartiole guides L are arranged ad- 845 t v Q i w chute and are adapted to extend into a carton when the same is in its upper position. The plates L are pivoted at Z on the plate h of the frame of the' apparatus, and are adapted to swing from their normal or inclined positions into substantially upright positions, Fig. 13, which positions the plates assume when an article passes between the same. In order to normally hold the plates L in their inclined positions, counterbalancing weights or arms Z are preferably provided which may, if desired, be formed in tegral with the plates Land which preferably extend at substantially right angles to the plates L. The counterbalancing arms are slightly heavier than the plates L so as to normally hold these'plates in their inclined positions. Stops l are preferably provided on the plate It to limit the downward movement of the counterbalancing arms or weights Z, and the lower face .ofthe table or plate It acts as a Stop for the arms Z to limit the downward movement of the plates L. A

When the article enters into the carton, the weight thereof causes the carton to move downwardly against the action of the counterweight lei" so that the carton with the article therein takes the position shown in Fig. 8, in which position the carton is out of engagement with the plates L and can be read il removed from the apparatus. The upper edges of the paper may then be folded either by hand or otherwise to cover the top of the article and the carton is then closed.

The apparatus described has the advantage that no power is required to operate the same, the wrapping being done while the article passes through the apparatus by its own weight.- The apparatus is so constructed that the portions thereof which might come into contact with the article itself are readily accessible and can be easily cleaned. l he apparatus occupies comparatively little floor space, and is simple and inexpensive in construction, and reliable in operation. The apparatus is particularly well adapted to be 'used for wrapping butter or other material or articlesof sticky or adhesive nature, which materials are difficult to handle in a wrapping machine where positively driven means are employed to move the artlcles through the machine. The wrapping apparatusmay be employed without the means for placing the articles into cartons or boxes if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially upright chute through which the article to be sitioning av piece of paper in operative relation to said chute, folding devices in said chute past which the weight of the article carries the paper and which .fold the paper against the sides of the article, and means at the lower end of said chute for receiving the article. a v

2. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially upright chute through which the article to be wrapped is adapted to drop by gravity, folding devicesin said chute which fold the paper against the sides of the article, the paper being carried to the folding devices by the weight of the article, and guide means for the paper at the upper end of said chute by means of which the paper may be properly positioned with regard to said chute.

3. In. an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially upright chute through which the article to be wrapped is adapted to dropby gravity, stationary paper deflecting devices in said chute which fold the paper upwardly along the four sides of the article, and stationary paper. deflecting devices which fold the paper laterally against the sides of the article, said article by its weight carrying the paper past said deflecting devices to cause the folding of the paper.

4. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially vertical chute through which articles to be wrapped pass by gravity, upper folding devices adapted to fold parts of a sheet upwardly against the sides of an article and to guide the article in its movement through the apparatus, and a second set of folding devices arranged below said upper folding devices and adapted to receive the article when it leaves said upper foldin devices and fold parts of the sheet lateral y against the sides of the article, said upper folding devices being removably held on said second set of folding devices;

5. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially vertical chute through which articlesto be wrapped pass by gravity, upper folding devices adapted to fold parts of a sheet upwardly against the sides of an article and to guidethe article in its movement through the apparatus, and a pair of oppositely arranged folding devices below said upper folding devices and adapted to fold parts of the sheetlaterally against the sides of the article, said upper folding devices and said pair of folding devices being removably arranged on the apparatus and removably held relatively to each other. i

6. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material,

the combination of upper folding devices adapted to foldparts of a sheet upwardly against the sides of an article and to guide the article in its movement through the apparatus, a pair of oppositely arranged folding devices below said upper folding devices adapted to fold parts'of the sheet laterally against the sides of the article, and a base on which said pair of folding devices is removably mounted, said upper folding device being removably supported on said pair of folding devices.

7. In an apparatus for Wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of upper folding devices adapted to fold parts ofa sheet upwardly against the sides of an article and to guide the article in its movement through the apparatus, a pair of oppositely arranged folding devices below said upper folding devices adapted to fold parts of'the sheet laterally against the sides of the article, a base on which said pair of folding devices is removably mounted, and means on said base and on said pair of folding devices for securing said pair of folding devices on said base.

8. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a substantially vertical chute through which articles to be wrapped pass by gravity, two oppositely arranged substantially straight ,folding members at opposite sides of said chute adapted to fold opposite sides of a sheet upwardly against opposite sides of an article, guiding mem bers between said straight folding members adapted to fold the other two sides of the sheet against the article, and lateral folding devices which engage the portions of the sheet extending beyond the article and to fold the same laterally against the article.

9. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of two oppositely arranged substantially straight folding members adapted to fold opposite sides of a sheet upwardly against opposite sides of an article, guiding members between said straight folding members adapted ,to\fold the other two sides of the sheet against the article, spaced between said straight folding members and said guiding members between which parts of the sheet are adapted to pass, and means below said members for folding said portions of the sheet against the sides of the article, said folding members forming guide means past which the article to be Wrapped drops by gravity.

10. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of means for supporting a sheet of paper, a chute below said support over which the paper rests and through which the sheet is adapted to be carried by the weight of an article to be wrapped, said chute comthe the

naaaeat 11. In an apparatus for wrapping articles,

in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of folding devices adapted to fold parts of a sheet upwardly against the sides of an article, folding devices adapted to fold parts of the sheet laterally against the sides of the article, and standards on which said lateral folding devices are secured, said standards removably supporting said upward folding devices.

12. In an apparatus for wrapping articles having sticky surfaces in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of two oppositely arranged substantially straight upright folding members adapted to fold opposite sides of a sheet upwardly against opposite sides of an article, guiding members between said straight folding members adapted to fold the other two sides of the sheet against the article, said guiding members being formed to first press the sheet against the middle portions of the sides of the article and to press the sheet against the sides of the article throughouttheir width as 'the article moves past the guiding members, and lateral folding means arranged below said folding and guiding .members and adapted to engage portions of the sheet extending beyond the article and to fold the same laterally against the article, the several folding devices being so arranged relatively to each other that the articles can drop past the folding devices by gravity.

13. In an apparatus for wrapping articles having adhesive outer surfaces in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combina'- tion of a tableadapt'ed to receive a sheet, a lhole-in said table through which the article is adapted to drop by gravity, folding edges on said table adapted to fold opposite .sides of the paper upwardly into engagement with the sides of the article as the same passes through said hole, and guiding members arranged between said straight edges at the sides of said hole and adapted to press the other sides of the sheet into engagement with the corresponding sides of the article.

, 14:. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination ofa table adapted to receive a sheet, a hole in said table through which the articlehs adapted to drop, folding edges on said table adapted to fold opposite sides of the paper upwardly into engagement with the sides of the article as the same passes through said hole, guiding members arranged between' said straight edges at the sides of said hole and adapted to press the other sides of the sheet into engagement adapted to pass by gravity, and a plurality to cause the with the corresponding sides of the article, and lateral folding devices arranged below said table and adapted to engage portions of said sheet extending beyond the article and to fold the same laterall against the article, said table being remova ly supported on said lateral folding devices, and a base on which said lateral folding devices are removably supported.

' 15. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of folding devices adapted to fold parts of a sheet upwardly against the sides of an article, folding devices adapted to fold parts of the sheet laterally against the sides ofthe article, and standards on which said lateral folding devices are secured, said folding devices and standards forming a chute through which the article passes by gravity.

16. In an apparatus for-wrapping articles having adhesive outer surfaces in "sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a chute through which an article is of folding devices in said chute adapted to fold the paper against the sides of the article thereof.

17 In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous materiah'the combination of a paper guiding member, means for folding the paper upwardlyagainst the sides of the article, folding devices adapted to fold parts of the sheet laterally against the sides of the article, and a base on which said lateral folding devices are removably supported, said paper guiding member being removably supported on said lateral folding devices.

18. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a chute through which an article is adapted to pass by gravity, a plurality of folding devices in said chute adapted to fold the paper against the sides of the article, and means at the discharge-end of said chute for inserting the article into a container. 7

19. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a chute through which an article is adapted to pass by gravity, a plurality of folding devices in said chute adapted to fold the paper against the sides of the article, means at the discharge end of said chute for holding a container in position to receive the article, and means for guiding the article into said container.

20. In an apparatus for wrapping articles in sheets of paper or analogous material, the combination of a chute through which an article is adapted to pass by gravity, a plurality of folding devices in said chute adapted to fold the paper against the sides of the paper to adhereto the sides article, and means at the bottom of said chute adapted to hold a container for the article in operative relation to the chute.

21. In an apparatus for Wrapping articles in sheets ofpaper or analogous material, the combination of a chute through which an article is adapted to pass by gravity, a plurality of folding devices in said chute adapted to fold the paper against the sides of the article, and means at the bottom of said 1 chute for yieldingly holding a container for the article in operative relation to the chute. Witness my hand, this 16th day of March,

HORATIO S. GLEASON. Witnesses:

F. E. PROcHNOW, A. L. McGEE. 

